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Coolest, best vented mesh riding jacket?

M

MONK

New member
I don't handle heat well. I get super hot, I sweat, etc. Either because I'm fat or because I'm diabetic or a combination of the 2. I have a pretty nice mesh jacket now but it just doesn't allow enough air flow to keep my cool in the NC heat/humidity (more humidity than heat...it's only been in the 80s so far....82* today w/78% humidity). I know, there are others who ride in worse heat/humidity and if I didn't like the heat, I should have stayed in northern Indiana.

So, what's the best jacket for this? I'm looking for a 1-1.5 season jacket. When it gets a little cooler, the jacket I've got will be perfect. I rode in 20* temps last winter w/it and it was fine.
 
I have a Tourmaster Sonora mesh jacket for two seasons now and it seems to have good air flow through it . It came with two liners so you could use it year round except I don't ride when it's below 45 degrees here in northern Utah.
Happy riding.
 
Hey Monk, I have a Scorpion Vortex Air that seems to do real well & I live on the Texas Gulf coast, Houston area... it’s been up around 90 with high humidity & it seems to do well for me as long as U’re moving... Cycle Gear has it for around 170-185... good luck & miles and smiles
 
I have an Advance Vance full mesh jacket, https://www.teammotorcycle.com/high-visibility-mesh-motorcycle-jacket-with-insulated-liner-and-ce-armor, that I recently stumbled on when hunting for a replacement for my ratty old Bilt mesh jacket that had seen better days. Most of my riding gear is Firstgear that I really like but the price and air flow features of the new jacket are superior to the old Bilt when it was new. Reviews said the sizes run small so I bought an XL while my Firstgear stuff is L Tall. How long it will last I have no idea but the construction appears very good.
 
I feel your pain on the heat and humidity. Here in SW MO most of the summer just standing up outside causes much perspiration. We have evaporative cooling vests for the hot rides. Soak them in water for a few minutes, wring them out so they don't drip and get your clothes soaked (unless you want them to be wet) and they really do cool us of as we ride. They work alone or under mesh jackets. As they work by evaporation they don't work the best if standing still in high humidity, but they cool well while moving on the bike or trike. I have seen them in motorcycle shops and medical stores (folks with MS use them as they sometimes don't tolerate heat well) as well as on the interwebz. We got ours from Amazon, Hers is blue, My current one is black. In shops I usually see them in silver. Start here: https://www.google.com/search?q=hyp...2.69i57j0l7.8376j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
 
The most minimalist mesh top you can get is Draggin' Jeans' Kevlar mesh shirt. Unfortunately they are out of stock at the moment. Give them a call and find out when they might get more (might be tied to current economic conditions).

I wore one over a cotton t-shirt for the better part of a decade down here in Alabama.
 
Full mesh jacket in a light color, breathable gloves, a well ventilated helmet----- AND----- a VENTED WINDSHIELD...... Here in the desert a cooling vest works great but in high humidity --- not so good.

Good luck in your search for air conditioning.

Lew L
 
AVBIZ said:
I’m an ATGATT nerd and wear an Alpinestars airbag jacket so “comfortable” is secondary. If I were to move comfort to the top slot and still demand some safety I would like to try one of these.... https://www.bohnarmor.com/product/cool-air-mesh-armored-riding-shirt/
Click to expand...

I'm also an ATGATT nerd, and I made the shift to Bohn Body Armor this past year. Glad I did. Everything is bigger in Texas, including the heat and humidity, and their mesh shirt/pants combo have handled it nicely. I've been out on humid 90+ temp days this month and was still comfortable.

I ride with a Nike dri-fit nylon compression shirt under the Bohn riding shirt, and a BCG loose nylon mesh hi-viz long-sleeve shirt over it. Probably everyone has some variation of my undershirt and overshirt in their closet; the brands aren't important. The undershirt is definitely optional; I just don't want to have to wash the riding shirt after every ride, and it adds tactile comfort without adding a lot of heat.

The riding pants are also effective -- these I just wear as long-johns under my jeans. I'm going to evaluate some lighter options among the Kuhl, Arc'Teryx, etc. hiking pants crowd this summer, but my legs sweat in even cold weather, and the airflow with them on is remarkable even under jeans. The pants were the main reason I made the investment; I tried inexpensive padded riding pants that were ok, but more often than not I was just going with jeans alone, which was torturing my ATGATT heart. I commend the Bohn products to anyone looking for comfort AND some reasonable protection.
 
I pick up a cheap one from cycle gear and save my $$$ for a great 3 season one from Olympia for the other days
 
MONK said:
I don't handle heat well. I get super hot, I sweat, etc. Either because I'm fat or because I'm diabetic or a combination of the 2. I have a pretty nice mesh jacket now but it just doesn't allow enough air flow to keep my cool in the NC heat/humidity (more humidity than heat...it's only been in the 80s so far....82* today w/78% humidity). I know, there are others who ride in worse heat/humidity and if I didn't like the heat, I should have stayed in northern Indiana.

So, what's the best jacket for this? I'm looking for a 1-1.5 season jacket. When it gets a little cooler, the jacket I've got will be perfect. I rode in 20* temps last winter w/it and it was fine.
Click to expand...



First, you should move to a DRY climate, like SoCal, Nevada, Utah, or Arizona. Second, get a 'cooling vest' to wear under your ballistic nylon open weave jacket. I wear a 'First Gear' jacket.

You soak the vest and the lightly wring it out before wearing under your jacket. I found they were good for about 2 hours in the SoCal summer heat of the Mojave desert.

You will need to stop by then for gas, bio break, etc. Just re-soak the vest and wring it out before wearing.

Joe T.
 
More info/review on the phase change vest:
 

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  • Phase Change Cooling Vest Review.jpg
    Phase Change Cooling Vest Review.jpg
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More than my jacket, buying the short windshield for my RT, and adding an X-Creen (https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/mra-x-creen-tour-variable-windscreen-spoiler-blade) has allowed me to keep cool by adjusting it on the go to push air directly at my body.

I also found a mesh jacket that is mesh all the way around, and doesn't have material on the outer sleeves. The exact style is now a few years old, but you can look up SILVER FLY RACING FLUX AIR online and see what they currently have. The liner is removable and I've combined it with layer underneath and dealt with weather in the 30's (although that isn't ideal by any means).
 
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